Process for softening a sugar-containing aqueous solution such as sugar juice or molasses

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a process for softening an aqueous sugar (sugar cane) juice containing sugars and Ca&lt;2+&gt; and/or Mg&lt;2+&gt; ions, such as a sugar refinery molasses, by means of a cation-exchange resin, in the Na&lt;+&gt; and/or K&lt;+&gt; form, and for regenerating the said resin, which comprises:   (a) a softening stage consisting in bringing the said sugar juice into contact with the said cation-exchange resin, in the Na&lt;+&gt; and/or K&lt;+&gt; form, in order to obtain, on the one hand, a softened sugar juice depleted in Ca&lt;2+&gt; and/or Mg&lt;2+&gt; ions and loaded with Na&lt;+&gt; and/or K&lt;+&gt; ions and, on the other hand, a cation-exchange resin loaded with Ca&lt;2+&gt; and/or Mg&lt;2+&gt; ions, and   (b) a stage for regeneration of the latter resin, characterised in that the regeneration stage (b) consists in bringing the said resin into contact with a liquid effluent produced during the separation by chromatography of the sugars of a softened aqueous sugar juice containing sugars and Na&lt;+&gt; and/or K&lt;+&gt; ions, this liquid effluent containing the greater part of the Na&lt;+&gt; and/or K&lt;+&gt; ions initially present in the softened sugar juice.



